


My Word

by Lilith_diLibri



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But this story isn't about them, F/M, Jack also makes an appearance, Norribeth, Post-Canon, mentions of Elizabeth/Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23396086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilith_diLibri/pseuds/Lilith_diLibri
Summary: Elizabeth is not the type of person to give her word lightly.This is the ending of Curse of the Black Pearl, but Elizabeth doesn't break her engagement to James.
Relationships: James Norrington/Elizabeth Swann
Comments: 18
Kudos: 171





	My Word

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HolmesFan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolmesFan/gifts).



> This is my humble contribution to the Norribeth fandom. ^_^ It definitely isn't a new idea, but hopefully you enjoy my variation of a theme.
> 
> MUCH THANKS to HolmesFan for beta-reading/editing for me. You are a treasure and a HUGE inspiration.
> 
> My take on these characters is HEAVILY influenced by Redemption's Promise and other Norribeth fanfics written by HolmesFan. If, for some reason, you haven't read her stuff yet, GET. ON. IT. O___O

“If this means the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. My conscience will be clear.”

The boy was indeed rash and ungrateful, foolishly throwing away his life for a criminal. And yet, he was not entirely deserving of what the law would prescribe for him as punishment for his latest actions.

“You forget your place, Turner,” the commodore warned, hoping he would see reason and how he was maneuvering them all into an impossible situation.

“It’s right here, between you and Jack.”

As a naval officer and subject of the King, James knew what he had to do, but as a fellow flawed man, he hated that the boy refused to relent, even more so because he knew the horrible effect it would have on Elizabeth. 

At that, she was suddenly at Norrington’s side, clasping his hand as she murmured his name, “James…”

His heart leapt into his throat, and he braced himself for what his beloved would say next, sure this would be the moment she would be lost to him forever. He knew she did not care that he could give her a more comfortable and stable life - a safer life - than the foolish blacksmith’s apprentice; she was too enamoured of the idea of pirates and adventure. He finally dared to meet her gaze, but was surprised by what he read there.

She did _not_ appear apologetic or pitying, like one might before mercifully killing a severely wounded creature. “Please,” she whispered. “Can’t you do something?”

He wanted to rub his eyes in frustration at that moment and yell that he would not have had to _do_ anything if Mr. Turner had only minded his own business from the beginning and not broken the law. But James was a man well trained in the arts of self-restraint, and all that showed of his inner turmoil to the crowd gathered around was a clenching of his jaw.

Inevitably, the exceedingly troublesome Jack Sparrow took the opportunity to sneak off to the edge of the battlements. “Friends!” he announced as his movement drew the attention of all. “Let this be the day that you all remember as the -” And as marines began to advance on him, Sparrow swaggered just an inch too far and stumbled over the edge to the crashing waves below.

Norrington and his men, along with Turner and Elizabeth, rushed to the edge to peer over, waiting for evidence of his surviving the fall. As the pirate’s head bobbed to the surface, there was more movement in the corner of the commodore’s eye, and he looked just in time to see the blacksmith tumble over the edge after him. 

“Idiots!” Gillette quipped. “They’ve nowhere to go but back to the noose!”

Just as Turner surfaced and began treading water behind Sparrow, someone else called out, “Sail ho!” And indeed there was a ship with black sails just at the edge of the bay. James breathed a silent sigh of relief; for the moment, their fates were out of his hands.

“What’s your plan of action?” When James did not respond immediately, Gillette added, “Sir?”

Governor Swann piped up, “Perhaps on the rare occasion, pursuing the right course demands an act of piracy. Piracy itself can be the right course?”

A ghost of a smile flashed briefly across the commodore’s face. The governor was at once sparing his daughter’s feelings and saving James from having to make a decision that was sure to displease her. Her hand was in his once more. Elizabeth was still here, had made her way back to his side after the mad rush to the ramparts. Meeting her gaze, he straightened and then regarded Gillette.

“Sir, shall I give the order to ready pursuit?”

With a haughty smirk, James responded, “Oh, I think we can afford to give them one day’s head start.”

\---

And so they had, although it was decided that the task of going after Sparrow could just as easily be handled by one of the captains under Norrington’s command. Besides, their commodore had a wedding to plan and a new fiancée to dote on.

Elizabeth had kept her word, and though she may not have cared for him as much as she did the young Turner, James vowed to make the best of the time they had before the wedding, to woo her and show her that he was worthy of her affection. This often manifested as him indulging her with frequent tours of the ships in the fleet, and occasionally taking her on short cruises around the island - nothing that risked putting her in danger again, of course.

He knew she had seen and experienced many harrowing things since the day Sparrow crashed into their lives, but she had never talked about it, not in great detail. He felt too conflicted about asking her directly for fear of dredging up unpleasant memories, but there was no denying that she was changed. She carried herself differently, much like young sailors after their first battle experience.

During the pirate ambush, Elizabeth was supposed to have been hidden in his cabin aboard the Dauntless, but the governor had reported her missing just before she rowed up in a longboat with the blacksmith and Sparrow, safe and sound to all appearances.

James also feared reminding her of her lost friend, who was also surely her secret sweetheart. He knew the two had been friends as children, even after Governor Swann adopted him out of his household and the boy started his apprenticeship with Mr. Brown. Their attraction for one another understandably grew as they aged, but the governor had assured James that there was nothing between the two.

The days surrounding Jack’s arrival had proven otherwise. And every day, as his wedding with the governor’s daughter drew nearer, he expected to wake up one morning with word that Elizabeth had fled. There were still a few days left; she still might. And so he had lived each day trying to prove to her that she had made the right choice, silently trying to convince her to stay.

* * *

Elizabeth had surprised herself that final day of Jack’s adventure in Port Royal, but she truly had no other choice. She had to push Will after Jack, had to help him escape.

Her father had made it abundantly clear that he was reaching the limits of his power by granting Will clemency; although it had helped that most of Will’s previous lawbreaking had all been a part of his plan to rescue Elizabeth. There was no explaining away his latest attempt to right the world’s wrongs - at least, not in her father’s eyes. And there had been too many witnesses to the spectacle Will had made, too many royal subjects injured in the process. Will would never be allowed to walk free. Elizabeth ultimately had saved him from himself, and so ensured that he lived to see another day. She could not bear the thought of her dear friend locked away or led to the noose; damn his sense of justice and integrity. She might have loved him for it, but she would have much preferred it if he had a stronger sense of self-preservation.

So on that day, when Jack’s fall provided the perfect distraction, Elizabeth had looked at Will, whispered her sincerest apologies, and then shoved her darling with all her might right over the edge. Miraculously, no one had seen. Most were more willing to hypothesize that he too had tripped or a rogue soldier had pushed him. A few even jokingly claimed to have done it.

Weeks had gone by with thankfully not a word. Hopefully this meant that Jack and Will had successfully hidden themselves from the reach of the Royal Navy, though Elizabeth feared that it also meant Will was angry with her, that he did not understand that she did what she had to do to protect him. It probably was not quite what he expected from the woman he had just proclaimed his love for.

She had to confess that it had taken her a bit by surprise; once they entered adolescence, Will became terribly formal and distant around her. While she had always harbored a not-so-cleverly hidden fondness for him, she had assumed Will had lost interest and moved on. Perhaps what he felt for her had been only puppy love that faded with maturity. But she had to reassess her assumptions when he risked his livelihood and his life to find and rescue her.

She had been surprised and relieved to wake up to his face in the caves of Isla de Muerta, but there had been little time afterward to spend time together and investigate the nature of Will’s feelings. There had certainly been an undeniable attraction, but she did not know it was love until the day of Jack’s attempted hanging, long after she had given her word to marry James. There was nothing else she could do but go through with her promise while attempting to keep Will out of danger.

Marrying the commodore would not be so bad. She had also known James for most of her life, though he had seemed more like an aloof older brother than a potential suitor (her father had certainly favored him as the son he had always wanted and never had). But already James seemed to be a different person, at least around her. The stilted formality she had grown accustomed to had melted into warm familiarity and affection. He called her “sweetheart,” and visited the governor’s household often for tea, or invited her for strolls around the fort or for very safe and quite brief outings on the various ships in his fleet. He asked her about her thoughts and dreams, and generally displayed a rather ardent devotion that she had not thought possible in him.

And yet, she felt too hesitant to answer him honestly, fearing to prove herself an unsuitable wife. Not that him breaking the engagement would have been all that terrible, but it would have meant further disappointment to her father. Besides, as time wore on, she grew more accustomed to the idea of being the future Mrs. Commodore, and the brief time she had shared with Will began to fade to a foggy memory.

She had even started to look forward to her wedding day.

Once, while taking a turn about the garden after tea, James had pulled her aside into a little alcove away from prying eyes. Concerned at first, her eyes had darted around, searching for the bee or some other nefarious stinging pest he was surely trying to protect her from. Until he spoke.

“Elizabeth, would you permit me to kiss you?” He had kissed her hand many times before in parting, but she got the distinct feeling this was not what he meant now, and it knocked her a bit off balance.

“Yes,” she answered, though not with her usual confidence.

He closed the space between them then, doffing his hat to place a gentle kiss on her lips. He hovered there but a moment, breathing her in, before he moved away once more.

She could not hide the disappointment on her face.

“I’m sorry. Was that terribly forward of me?” His eyes searched hers, looking for something she knew not what.

“On the contrary,” she replied, regaining her bearings. “As your future wife, I confess to wishing for something a bit more.” Her eyebrow arched in a playful challenge.

Seemingly emboldened by this, he leaned in once more, though this time he had an alternate target. His hand cupped her cheek, then gradually moved back and around to cradle her head. “What more do you desire, my sweetheart?” he whispered against her ear, placing a small kiss on her neck just below her earlobe.

She was surprised by the exceedingly pleasant sensations this caused and by the warmth pooling in the pit of her stomach. “That is a lovely start,” she sighed, surrendering to the sensation as her hands slid up his arms of their own volition to clutch his shoulders.

He chuckled, a deep sound rumbling through his chest that had a dizzying effect on her. He continued peppering kisses along her jaw. “And how would you prefer it continue?”

She gazed at him a moment, attempting to break whatever spell he was managing to weave over her. “Who are you?” she asked in awe and befuddlement. Was this truly the same man she had grown up with?

He had the decency to look a touch bashful for a moment, but did not break eye contact. “Just a man who adores you with every fiber of his being.” His other hand, still clutching his hat, was now at her back, embracing her fully, and he moved to finally claim her lips.

And she let him, even encouraged him, pulling him closer to her. His scent enveloped her, at once familiar and new; there was a warm, spicy undercurrent she had never noticed before and it sparked a fire in her. He kissed her with a passion made potent by years of restraint, tinged by desperation. Elizabeth could have sworn this is what it felt like to be worshipped and revered, and when she finally broke away, James left her breathless.

“Is this the man you keep hidden under all that blue wool and gold braid?” she quipped, needing desperately to put him on the defensive.

He colored at this, glancing down briefly and granting her some space. “Does he displease you?”

“Not at all! In fact, I should like to get to know him better.” She grabbed his hand, hoping to prevent any further retreat.

Smiling cheekily, a rare sight indeed, he asked, “Then may I kiss you again?”

At this she pulled him to her and claimed his mouth as hers.


End file.
